BV Heritage acquired a vintage safe that will
reside in the DSP&P depot in McPhelemy Park. We got it from a family in
Hartsel, who had bought it from the depot in Hartsel in 1919. We need to raise
$1500 to cover the purchase. Pleasedonatetoday!

Pictured with the safe are BVH
board members Suzy Kelly and Vic Kuklin, who helped with the purchase and the
moving of the safe. We also sincerely appreciate the help of Bryce Kelly, Sue
Kuklin, Roger Williams and Jack, Amy and Chad Close.

The safe is in the depot mail room, as historically,
registered mail was required to be locked up.

Be a Volunteer!

Buena Vista Heritage needs volunteers to help with special events as
well as maintenance and staffing of its properties. The nonprofit
organization owns and manages several historic properties in Chaffee
County and sponsors the annual King Boletus Mushroom Festival, Turner
Farm Apple Fest and historical tours of Mount Olivet Cemetery. Two
productions, "The Madams of Central Colorado" and
"Incidentally: Gilbert Gregg" will return this year for
another season of performances.

Properties manager Tom Tomson said volunteers are needed to serve as
greeters at events, docents, tour guides, museum monitors,
ticket-takers and gift-shop staffers. Apple Fest, set for Sept. 14 at
Turner Farm, needs people who can demonstrate old-time crafts and
skills. Lunch and dinner hosts are needed for the King Boletus
Mushroom Festival, set for Aug. 17-18. Buena Vista Heritage Museum,
506 East Main St., needs people to run the museum's model train
display. The cemetery tour needs people who would like to portray
costumed characters from Buena Vista's past.

The organization has a particular need for volunteers to staff the
Buena Vista Depot Transportation Museum, which opened in 2011 in
McPhelemy Park. Tomson said he would like to see the transportation
museum open at least six days a week during the summer.

Other volunteer jobs include doing yard work, painting, sorting,
cleaning, dusting, cataloging donations, sewing costumes, helping
with maintenance and repair, assisting with clerical work, scanning
photos and organizing materials in the museum's reference room.
Volunteers also are needed to assist with designing posters and other
materials and maintaining the Buena Vista Heritage website and
Facebook page.

Training will be provided. People interested in volunteering are
asked to call Tomson at (719) 293-1700 or (719) 966-5318.

To schedule an appointment or group tour, please e-mail buenavistaheritage@msn.com or call (719) 395-8458.

Depot Restoration is Complete!

The BV Depot, built in 1890/91 for the Denver, Gunnison and Leadville Railway, is restored and open for business. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was July 2, 2011. The Depot will be open Friday & Saturday, 10:30 - 3:30, and Sunday 12:30 - 3:30 starting May 26, 2012. It is also open by appointment.

Buena Vista Heritage selected Older Than Dirt Construction of Salida as its contractor for the second phase of the Depot Restoration. They restored the interior of the building to its original state.

Traub Design Associates crafted exhibits for the Freight Room.

The budget for the restoration was $145,000. Funds came from a grants from the State Historical Fund, the Boettcher Foundation, and donations from individuals, Chaffee County, and the Denver South Park and Pacific Historical Society. The budget for the exhibits is $36,000. Funds for the exhibits were donated by Freeport McMoRan (Climax Molybdenum) in Leadville. Thank you to these generous supporters!

Update on Hose Carts

We asked for funds to restore our hose carts, and you responded! We have now raised about two-thirds of the funds needed to get the wheels fixed, and they were sent off with local wagon restoration expert Charlie Abel of Woolly Bear Trading Company on April 12. Charlie works regularly with an Amish friend on such projects. As the craftsmen meet only twice a year to transport wheels and other projects, we needed to raise funds in time for the April cycle.

We still need your donations for this project. When the wheels return to us in the fall, we'll owe $600 to pay off the bill, plus we're still raising money to restore the body of the carts.

Please consider donating toward the restoration of the hose carts today! We've already received donations of $1600 for this project -- with your help we can restore both hose carts to the condition they deserve. Donations can be made online or mailed to P.O. Box 1414, Buena Vista, 81211. Pledges are welcome, too, and will help our board make decisions about the level of restoration we can afford. If you can’t send the full amount now, please let us know now what amount you can pledge to donate by August 1.

The two- and four-wheeled hose carts that have for many years graced the front lawn of the Buena Vista Heritage Museum are showing serious signs of wear. Estimates for restoring were requested on two levels: at minimum, stopping the deterioration and, ideally, full restoration. To restore just one cart at the minimal level we need to raise $1000; to restore both to the top level would take $5900.

Hose Cart Donation

Online PaymentsBV Heritage has accepted credit cards for many years, but now we can accept credit card transactions online. You can now pay your membership online, buy event tickets online and make a donation online.